Somethin Black

[FinalImpact]

NOTE: This is an on going thread of one bike and the things I've done to it. Check the dates!

Although I got it last week I didn't have anything but a cell phone Pic and some buyer beware questions in the the original thread so here are a couple of the new ride. Still haven't had time to detail it but its turn is coming. . .

Did a few maintenance items . . . .

She comes new to me with 4,188 miles, an she's an 08!

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[mxgolf]

:welcome: Welcome to a great forum and motorcycle. Simply the best! What's her name?
Ride safe and enjoy your new toy! :thumbup:

 

[FinalImpact]

This is my first street bike but I have lots of experience in other areas. I keep being surprised by the number of people going down at low speeds and making tire temp comments (wtf?). hmmm . . .
Prolly not smart, but I've been on 650 dirt bikes on the street, high bikes with nobies and loads of bottom end torque. Never had an issue. That's not to say I never bit it. Crudded my pants on gravel roads but so far all is good.

The FZ is Sweet! But its rained non-stop since I got her home! :thumbdown:

Our day will come for something beyond a test drive while the dude held bunch of 100 spots in his hand. haha

On the 10th next month I'm taking a rider safety course to help the insurance. Hopefully the weather is better by then.

 

[Wolfman]

To quote Arnie...."Say, that's a nice bike!"

Welcome, post lots, but ride more...

:thumbup:

 

[FinalImpact]

Re: Somethin Black // first real ride

At long last I finally got to ride it beyond the test buzz with the previous owner holding a fist full of cash. Its out in the country and full of twisties so it was very nice to log a couple miles on the bike!! Last night it was 60F here and dry for the first time in weeks. Well, at least the streets in the suns path were dry. . . The rest were damp enough to sling debris everywhere and dirty the Black FZ.

I can't say I'm green to suspension setup so I will say this; while cornering through uneven ground it seems the bike does some kind of for/aft rocking motion upsetting the trajectory established. Its like the front is too soft or doesn't have the same dampening as the back. Like it dips more and the back might have a buck to it (not enough rebound dampening for the spring pressure)???

As if the front compresses to easy and the backs rebound is too quick? I think at minimum I'll lesson the spring pressure on the rear and maybe play with the tire pressure a bit too. FYI I'm right at 200lbs with gear.

Overall it was very pleasant ride but I can't say I was completely loose and relaxed which is what it takes to corner freely. It was a good experience tho! Brakes seem good, although I locked the rear briefly on some loose gravel braking for a corner. It didn't upset the bike much as it slide but it was a good experience to see how much weight is transfered during moderate braking to sharp corner (roughly 45deg switchback in low gear).

I need to gain faith in the corners when the surface is wet but she never slid there and she still has stock tires.

As for the launch, i took it easy till about the 20 mile mark and grabbed a handful a couple times. Low gear will bring the nose up if not careful so I lifted just a tad but still let er climb to 11k and hit 2nd, same thing grabbed 3rd letting off as id hit 85 in no time. It sure sounds busy below me but man was it fun!

I was out and about for roughly 35minutes and the skies turned black so back home we went.

As I get a couple more rides I'll share those first road bike experiences. . .

 

[Randomchaos]

Re: Somethin Black // first real ride

In my 04 model I previously had some racetech springs and 15W fork oil in the front. HUGE improvement over the stock setup. I would look into those two things since it sounds like you are pretty sensitive to suspension setups, as well as some other suspension upgrades.

 

[FinalImpact]

Re: Somethin Black // first real ride

In my 04 model I previously had some racetech springs and 15W fork oil in the front. HUGE improvement over the stock setup. I would look into those two things since it sounds like you are pretty sensitive to suspension setups, as well as some other suspension upgrades.

Can you explain the before/after difference please?

Thanks!

 

[Randomchaos]

Re: Somethin Black // first real ride

Much more front-end feedback, best way I can describe it.

 

[FinalImpact]

A couple links to learn about setup up and tuning:

Please - Please, feel free to post up other links and share resources that work and those which don't work too! This is about learning from our own mistakes as well as those of others. . .

Thanks

http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-mods/11735-shock-spring-rate.html#post148706

Motorcycle Suspension Set-up

 

[Randomchaos]

Only tough part about the FZ6, the front forks aren't easily adjustable, and the rear is preload only unless you go with an aftermarket setup. I did have mine setup properly for front and rear sag though when I did the Racetech springs for my weight!

 

[FinalImpact]

Only tough part about the FZ6, the front forks aren't easily adjustable, and the rear is preload only unless you go with an aftermarket setup. I did have mine setup properly for front and rear sag though when I did the Racetech springs for my weight!

Kinda sad, as so many dirt bikes have both rebound and compression damping adjusts for and aft. . . They couldn't spend the $extra$ to add it here??

I'm game for a spring and oil change up front and there are two performance shops around here for technical details, but I'll give it go with the basics first!

I need to do some research and figure out what the best options are tho! What I see here is not every tells of before and after. What was wrong and did they fix what they didn't like or just change it?? :IDT:

 

[FinalImpact]

Re: Somethin Black //2nd Ride

As the title shows, I finally got a second ride in the beast. Went about 65 miles all of which is tight corners through the woods hills and valleys! IT was Very nice! Much more relaxed and able to be one with the bike never having to work at anything too hard.

In another thread there is a "how far do you look ahead" section. I found that I look way ahead just as in my car driving style. One time I did error as i think I was looking to the next corner when I should have been slowing for the one I was on. I still had plenty of time to act, but I did make that mistake.

My sis lives out in the woods and said on any nice days she can hear the bees coming though the canyon (hint crotch rocket (w/pipes) = bees). I'll stop there with her explanation as I'll get banned if use her words. Suffice it to say they are typically moving right along. . .

Here is a little Google Map showing some of the terrain if you wish too look.
crown point - Google Maps

This is just my opinion, but I hate the front forks on this thing :thumbdown:. Its a bike and it rides, but I know its just way to soft in the nose. All corners, all bumps the nose is down and seems to have 1/2 the spring rate as the rear consuming most of the suspension travel over very small surface changes. That in itself is not so bad, but the back isn't following it like that so it upsets the trajectory in the corners ever slow slightly giving ti a washboard feeling. I'll be doing the spring and oil change sooner than later. . .

Anyway, the ride was great until I got up in the snow and froze important parts off. I was going to stop and take pictures, but didn't want to hang around. On the way down the mt I had my hands on the block for warmth if that tells you anything.

The Roads were 95% dry so I had it leaned over and wasn't fearing the worst unlike my first ride where tree coverage left everything wet leaving only dry spots where the sun touches the earth. . . Then I was hardly doing the speed limit and was well below the posted corner speeds. This time, I was easily doubling the posted corner speeds with confidence, entry, mid and exit of corners were exactly the lines I'd picked so It was very successful.
I tried harder braking in straights and corners to know our potential, locked the rear once for moment, but it didn't upset the bike, slid on film of gravel due to bad lane positioning but again, it was graceful and clean.
In short I think we have a future together! :thumbup:

I'm looking forward to more rides. . . .Now its too rain again today. . .
- sadness -

 

[FinalImpact]

Oh - I failed to mention that "lOOking" way ahead saves lives! In this case, it was mine!

I'm going down this country road sizing up the corner before me. I'm tooling at 70+mph and its a lazy bend. What I see is an oncoming car turning into a driveway on their right side (oh - no apparent turn signal either). NBD right? Wrong! Behind dumb driver # 1 is Super JAM in a big Dodge 4X4 occupying 100% of my lane at the apex of the corner as he went completly around the slow turning car!

I had like hours to slow down, but the guy saw me and took the lane anyway! What an @ssssssssssss!!!!!! :Flip: As I was now at 20mph I had a good long look at the guy as I shook my head and raised the finger. His lack of patience to allow the guy to turn off the road could have change my life.
PS - assuming the turning car failed to signal it could have prompted the other guy to swerve out. IDK??

Ride safe!

 

[Randomchaos]

I have managed to put a little over 200 miles on my 07 so far. Deffinately getting some springs and 15w fork oil in the front end. Slight bumps at a decent lean angle made the bike wallow a bit in the corners, and the front end dives pretty bad during hard braking. No butt pucker moments though! Love how smooth these bikes are, just needs a bit o suspension tuning =).

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[FinalImpact]

^+1 DittO!!!!

Enjoy!!!!

 

[DownrangeFuture]

Most of that feeling went away for me after I changed tires to the Pilot Road 2's, set the rear preload up properly, aligned the rear axle properly, and stopped riding so stiff armed.

If your arms are locked/stiff, and your butt is in the seat when you're taking a turn at "fun" speeds, you're doing it wrong and working against the bike.

It's no R6, but I find the suspension quite serviceable for tight corners at 100+ speeds.

 

[mxgolf]

My blue 07 has the Ohlin Rear shock and I am just waiting to add the front springs which are sitting in my garage. I rode today also up to Bald peak and Newberg and Champooy Park.

 

[FinalImpact]

Finally got a chance to wash the young thing from top to bottom!!! She got her chain cleaned, lubed and adjusted and our joy ride afterwards emptied a 1/2 a tank of gas!!!!

She was rewarded with a fill up and a couple shots of Techron for the fuel sys. . .

All I can say is a clean bike makes life better! :thumbup: I don't have a scenic back drop but I'll post some pictures of the "clean" version so I (we) can admire them!

Yes, it was a Great Ride Today! Did some twisties, freeway ride in traffic, corners, hills, blah blah blah. . . A great date! lol

Note to self; carry cleaner and a soft cloth as bugs ruin you're view!!

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[BamBam77]

I could be wrong but I think he likes, NO LOVES his new bike:cheer::cheer::cheer:

 

[FrozenBiker]

I could be wrong but I think he likes, NO LOVES his new bike:cheer::cheer::cheer:

With good reason - she's a beauty :thumbup: